Kill BokSoon (2023)

Slick like John Wick

If John Wick was a woman, her name would be Gil Bok Soon. I quite enjoyed this movie. I just love stories with strong, exceptional women who can kick ass!

This movie is bloody, but the cinematography is exquisitely slick. On the surface, it is about an assassin and the organization that she works for -- similar to the John Wick franchise's world-building of assassin factions/orders with hierarchy and sets of rules. The main character, aptly nicknamed 'Kill Bok Soon' is a highly skilled assassin and at the top of her field - you can see this by what her colleagues have to say about her, both in admiration and jealousy.

The real story (IMO) is Bok Soon's relationship with her daughter and her attempts to understand her as a blossoming young adult. Even though Bok Soon is successful in her field both financially and skill-wise, her role as a mother is an alien concept to her. Her ability to read people and predict their next move just doesn't work on her daughter. Although it is shown as more of a 'side story' (probably due to the time constraints of movie form), you can read between the lines. If this were a drama, I'd definitely be interested in watching it.
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*The following contains spoiler scenes, DO NOT READ if you don't like spoilers!!*

Personal thoughts on scenes and things of interest:

* scene with Shinichiro Oda, both sitting on the ground and conversing while having a cigarette as if they are long-time friends (before the fight) -- had me giggling

* when she foresees her death while looking in the puddle of water (fight scene with Shinichiro Oda), right before she asks to change her weapon -- scene is somehow funny, surprising (I was like "What? She dies so quickly in the movie??), artistic, and a parody (of the iconic "who am I" scene from Mulan) all at the same time.

* scenes with Lee Jae Wook ❤️❤️❤️, who plays a young version of Cha Min Kyu -- had me smiling literally from ear to ear. What can I say, I'm a fan of his, he is sooo sexy and absolutely magnificent . . . what I would give to [insert daydreams of possibly X-rated wishes and situations with Lee Jae Wook ;P] . . .

* the sex scene with her younger colleague, Han Hee Sung (it's not explicit) -- the expression Hee Sung makes when Bok Soon holds him down and denies his request made me cackle hysterically and then wheeze from being out of breath :D

* Can you believe that Jeon Do Yeon is 50?!?! Wow, I hope I can look that fantastic when I'm her age!! Other than this movie, I have only seen her in Crash Course in Romance and Memories of the Sword - but I can totally see why she is known as a chameleon with her ability to transform into her characters. She looks super cool as Bok Soon, her outfits, her demeanor, her expressions and actions as both an expert assassin and an insecure mother were all top-notch and believable. She is a talented actress indeed.

*when her daughter finally tells her why she hurt the ahole student -- I can't imagine how difficult this was for her character nor how difficult it would be for people IRL. It's not often you see LGBTQ themes in Korean content unless it is BL genre - so it's nice to see it gaining more exposure and provoking empathy and thought (one would hope anyway - NOTE: don't read the comment section of this movie here - it's really shameful to see that bigotry and downright stupidity still exists. . .)

* when Bok Soon confesses that she knew she was in the wrong regarding her initial reaction upon learning that her daughter prefers women -- I like that she admitted it, brief moment but poignant. It's an idea and thought process that could have been expanded upon if it was in a series rather than a movie.

* when Bok Soon tells Cha Min Kyu she knows that SHE is his weakness - made me wonder how long she knew this fact; did she ever have romantic feelings for him?; were they ever an item and/or is it possible that he is the father of her daughter??

Negatives:

* would be even better as a drama since there were several questions left unanswered

* characters could have been more developed (downfall of a movie structure)

* Cha Min Hee's character was confusing. It is stated that she is Cha Min Kyu's younger sister, but the way she was portrayed seemed like she was possessively and obsessively in love with her brother -- gross.

TL;DR: A visually striking movie with a badass female assassin who struggles with being a mom to her adolescent daughter. Beautiful and talented cast members. Highly recommend.

Leia Mais

Best movie , Too bad it’s not a drama, it can compete with American movies

I have watched this movie and all I can say is that it’s perfection from actors to everyone included to produce this masterpiece, I hate one thing about this it’s just that it was too short this good story deserves big platform, like tv show/drama because there are some great story that we didn’t get to see we would have liked but it’s played well to not notice great job to the producers and screen writers , am hoping there would be a prequel to this it can also be a great movie and also a sequel . in short apart from this movie being to small for this great story it’s an amazing work it can compete with Hollywood movies .

Leia Mais

Not a great movie, but I'm easy to win over with a badass female lead and a damn good fight scene.

If you liked My Name, you'll probably like Kill Bok Soon. It has a lot of the same focus on a hard-boiled female protagonist with lots of good fight scenes. Kill Bok Soon is *slightly* more realistic (her boyfriend isn't some 10/10 stud, and she never fights dozens and dozens of trained killers at once). I also think the fight scenes are a little more intentionally crafted and fun to watch.

Ultimately, Kill Bok Soon presents a unique, action-packed exploration of a dual life—a seemingly everyday single mother, Gil Bok Soon, who concurrently leads an extraordinary existence as a ruthlessly efficient contract killer.

The protagonist's relationship with her handler, Cha Min Kyu, unfolds into a dangerous dance of mutual respect and underlying tension, which becomes the driver of conflict in the narrative. The emotional core, meanwhile, revolves around her relationship with her daughter. However, despite an engaging premise, the narrative falls short on providing the necessary depth to the characters' interpersonal relationships, possibly owing to the confined duration of the film format as opposed to longer-running dramas.

The film's highlight, for me, lies in its gripping fight sequences. The choreography is immaculate, and maintains a balance between gritty noir aesthetics and compelling action.

Jeon Do-yeon brings an intensity to Bok Soon's character while shifting comfortably between playing a loving mother but also navigating the film's darker corners. It's a performance that arguably surpasses her previous roles, and I'd love to see her in similar future roles (I loved her in Lost, but not so much in Crash Course in Romance).

Esom also adds a notable spark to the film but is perenially underutilized in the industry, suggesting an untapped potential for more prominent roles (I'd love to see her in a Korean remake of Lady Snowblood!!!).

Ultimately, Kill Bok Soon is an engaging, though somewhat rushed, noir action-drama. The conclusion definitely leaves a yearning for a more polished resolution... hinting at a possible sequel?

Leia Mais

Motherhood and Assassin Clash in This Great Romp!

I find it interesting that so many viewers are complaining about the ending, and why it feels incomplete. I guess you have to have been around for 45+ years, watching movies and shows to understand that an ending that feels incomplete is because there’s another part on the way. Another episode or another movie. It really isn’t that hard to figure out.

Kill Bok Soon is a very good film about a Gil Bok Soon, one of the best assassins of the MK guild. They call them companies, but I think a guild is more accurate. She’s deadly and she brings light humor to her personality. She smirks and lightly banters with her victims in a way that tells them, “This is business. It’s not personal.” What makes this story compelling is that she also has a teenage daughter. And it becomes obvious, very quickly, that her daughter has no idea what she does for a living, and she aims to keep it that way. And there is, of course, some compelling reasons why Bok Soon shields her daughter from her life.

Bok Soon is nearing the end of her contract, and the guild wants her to renew with them. She’s seriously considering retiring. However, can a rogue assassin who is as good as Bok Soon be allowed to simply retire?

Cha Min Kyu is the top assassin of the MK guild. And make no mistake, his skills outrival even Bok Soon’s as we see him take down 30+ Russians in a massacre. His sister, Cha Min Hee is the director of the MK guild, and she views Bok Soon as more of a liability than an asset since her announcement. It’s also obvious that she doesn’t care much for Bok Soon, which makes you also wonder if she knows the secret between Bok Soon and Cha Min Kyu.

Bodies pile up rapidly as it becomes apparent that it’s a fatal mistake to underestimate or even to target Bok Soon. She’s also not stupid. She knows what’s going to happen before it does, even running through probable scenarios in her mind—which play out on the screen in expert fashion. She will also use any item as a weapon. There’s no such thing as fighting fair in a fight, and Bok Soon is a master of this realization. It’s kill or be killed. There’s no room for apologies.

Jason Bourne is still one of my all-time favorite assassins because he’s just as smart as he is deadly. He’s like a grandmaster chess player who is always several moves ahead of his opponents, as well as being able to adapt to his situation with mere seconds of contemplation. Bok Soon is similar in this regard.

That cast is all top-notch, especially Jeon Do Yeon, who is very believable as the assassin Bok Soon. She’s also masterful at giving us a mom who is trying very hard to understand her teenage daughter, and why being a parent is even harder than being an assassin.

As I stated from the beginning, they certainly left the door open for another film, and I would be very surprised if another one isn’t made. Especially given how Bok Soon’s daughter reacts after finding out the truth about her mother. We were left to wonder how she would react to her mother upon finding out who she really is and what she really does. And what is intriguing is that we some elements of a young Bok Soon in her own daughter.

This was a fun film to watch. It’s well-written and well-performed. The fight scenes were all exceedingly well choreographed. Thank God these actors and actresses do their own stunt work, as it makes the scenes all the more believable and intriguing. Looking forward to the next one!

Leia Mais

Keeps you entertained

Not much to say about this movie, it wasn’t the most amazing or out of this world, it reminded me a lot of korean revenge plots which is why i liked it a lot. i loved the acting as well, all good actors but i think some scenes were a little confusing and at times i wasn’t really sure what was happening.

also…director cha is his sister ?! and she tried to kiss him ?!…okay that was just nasty…

i really thought she was his wife at first or something but i guess not.

also i really liked the plot that cha liked boksoon since they met. sets the tone of their relationship a lot more, i think i would’ve lowkey enjoyed this story more if it was about them in their younger years. also i kept speculating if they would show who the father is…but i have my suspicions that it might’ve been cha…don’t know though.

overall a good enough movie. i would love another sequel with the daughter or a movie about cha and boksoon when they were younger, their story intrigued me a lot!!!

Leia Mais

Action-packed movie that strongly relies on the mother-daughter relationship

Just like the synopsis reads, the movie basically only focuses on Boksoon, a top assasin, in her role as a mother.
There is nothing wrong with that and it is a really good concept. The acting is superb from the star-studded cast and the action, stunts and visual effects are crazy good. But at the end of the movie, you're left with the feeling of having watched an unfinished movie. The story, whilst trying to juggle her workplace and her identity as a famous assasin, strays to far away from the core story of her being a mother.

When her relationship with her daughter becomes strained due to some events, there is a lack of the affection and honesty that is, in my opinion the key aspect of Boksoons life. Her struggling as an single mother. Her profession also puts a strain on her relationship with her daughter which is something that is emphasized alot in the movie.

Running parallel with the story of her daughter, we are thrown into a political, greed-driven plotline involving her workplace. This is the element that throws of the core storyline of the mother-daughter bond and forces us to try to understand the various characters operating in the assasins field. Finishing the movie, I had a hard time grasping what the backstory of some of the characters in the first place. I do think the movie lacks context in some key characters and relies instead solely on the action. It gives enough hints to kinda get by but i would have loved to have some more flesh to the bones on the questions of why some characters acted the way they did.

It is still an amazing action movie that is super cool if you are up to see jampacked bloody action scenes in between the communcation of the mother-daughter-duo!

Leia Mais

Great Movie, if you like John Wick

I mean it was really really good, it's like a korean take of John Wick, but they had the ranking system of One Punch Man or maybe even My Hero Academia, but mostly close to One Punch Man. And the mc was a women, so that was kinda breath of fresh Air. Though it's kinda ironic that this came out around the same time as John Wick 4

Storytelling was good, i think in the beginning it's kindly slow because they need time to build it up, I even almost fell off, but good thing i stucked with it as i'll slowly pick up as is goes on.

The sub plot of the daughter being a LGBT was fine, it wasn't distracting or ruining you're experience with the Movie, as they weren't really focusing on in that much.

The Cinematography was really confusing at times, cuz it was like a merge of old style asian and modern cinematography. I really the visualization when Boksoon is thinking on how to kill her opponents, that was really amazing, I think that really adds to her character.

Also, just a nitpick opinion, that sex scene of boksoon and heesung wasn't really necessary imo. I think the story would still be fine if it wasn't there, but i kinda get it why they had to add it, just to show how deep boksoon and heesung's relationship go, but again still unnnecessary.

Overall, I was really invested in the world, cuz it was interesting. It would've been great if this was a TV series, cuz the movie runtime didn't do it justice as it was to short for me, but it doesn't feel like it's rushed either. Still it would've been great if the world would be explored more because it's interesting, i think there's still lots to talk about. Hope they would make a sequel or spin off TV series of this.

Leia Mais

Not a great deal but not a bad deal as well

A good action movie with a little mixture of thrills The killing scenes and the blood splattering scenes were we-portrayed. The cinematography was great. I liked the way the movie was shown from many characters perspectives. Bok Soon's character was very well cast. This movie shows how Bok Soon is trying to balance her professional assassin life with her personal motherhood life. I adored the mother-daughter relationship; it was not sugar-coated, but rather more convincing as in real life. Bok Soon's hesitancy to reveal her jobs true nature and her daughter's struggle to come out as lesbian were well portrait but that's it, the only positive things about the movie. Other characters I don't know what they were even trying to show but the characters lacked DEPTH. 
The thing I first remembered while watching this series was John Wick's world. I won't say they copied John Wick, but I could definitely say they got their inspiration for making this movie from Wick. It was like I was watching 2 John Wick movies crumpled up into 1.
But the action and cinematography saved the movie for me.
I loved that Boo Soon's daughter was able to accept herself the way she is.

Let's live, Let's Love and hope you enjoy your time by doing what you love 🫶

Leia Mais

An entertaining movie

Jeon Do-Yeon is really the gem of Korean industry and back with an all-action role! The special effects and swift fighting 😎😎
The storyline is abit far fetched but the cinematography is interesting, the CGI are done nicely and they tried to mimic western Kill Bill environment with the office building, lifts etc. Quite refreshing to find the similarities.

The mother and daughter relationship is suppressed, as a Netflix film there's no hesitation in displaying LGBT topics in K scene nowadays and it's definitely forward-thinking as the world evolves. If you are looking for cool dark action movie, Kill Bok Soon is for you.

Leia Mais

Its stylishly good but its not great

This movie tried to be a lot of things. Tarantino meeting John Wick but falling off somewhere is how I can describe this.

The story is gripping and can keep you in for the duration of the movie but I personally found the first hour and a half ridiculously slow and boring which I cannot forgive at all. Furthermore, the story resolved into unneeded sappy territory which was disappointing too.

However, the cinephile in me recognizes the artistic winning aspect of this film which is stylishly delivered and that aspect is the only that save this movie from being a non watchable entity.

Leia Mais

I didn't think it would be a good movie because of the bad comments

I didn't think it would be a good movie because of the bad comments my friends made about the movie, but it wasn't like this at all.
First of all, the greatest strength of the movie was the excellent acting of the actors, all of whom did a really good job, especially Jeon Doyon, who played the lead role.
The director and stage design were also good and had a new and interesting script (the main character staying between being a mother and being a murderer was very interesting)
The movie could have been really good in its genre, but it's like a bunch of friends were looking for special valuable concepts in this movie, but they couldn't find it, and some of them got too immersed in a certain side.
I don't recommend it to those who don't like crime and action movies. The movie is full of action and bloodshed scenes, not too much, but I don't think it's tolerable for those who don't like it.
But those who like this genre will probably like it. I'm not saying the movie was great, but it will be acceptable and attractive to them.It also had a good ending.
I liked it and I don't regret seeing it

Leia Mais